se the health and safety of Cubans . A 1997 report by the AmericanAssociation for World Health concludes that the US embargo has caused a significantrise in suffering-and even deaths-in Cuba. It states that the embargo has causedmalnutrition among Cubans, poor water quality, and a severe decrease in the availabilityof medications and medical equipment. The US embargo denies Cuba access totreatments for diseases such as AIDS, breast cancer, child leukemia, and cardiac illness. The US government has spent enormous amounts of time and money on research toprevent these illnesses because of their awful impact on human life and yet the US isknowingly allowing the Cuban people to suffer. The condition of the Cuban medicalpractice is in many ways that of a third world country, even though it is only 90 milesfrom the coast of a world superpower. It is obvious that the embargo is not affecting itsdesired target, Castro and his supporters. Instead it is causing unnecessary sufferingamongst the common people of Cuba.While it is clear that both the US and the Cuban people would greatly benefitfrom a unilateral lifting of the embargo, it is also clear that due to Cuban-Americanlobbying influence only partial revisions can be made. Cuban-Americans are one of themost heavily politicized minority groups and represent a large voting block in thecountry, but most especially New Jersey and Florida. Cuban-American influence inFlorida is very important because of the states 25 electoral votes. The lobby can usethese votes to gain favor with any presidential hopeful. It is obvious that sanctions onCuba can not simply be lifted but rather must be peeled away one layer at a time to besuccessful. A peeling away of the first layer started in October 2000 when Congresspassed legislation to allow food and medicines to be sold to Cuba. A poll in the MiamiHerald indicated that this bill had the support of over 60% of the Cuban-Americancommunity. This meas...
